Euro Area
Euro Area
Real Gross Domestic Product
Euro Area Gross Domestic Product, chained 2010 prices, 12-month % change, SA, updates quarterly
Real Gross Domestic Product measures the change in the inflation-adjusted value of all goods and services produced in the economy. It comprises private consumption and investment, inventory buildup, government spending and net exports. Markets watch this indicator to gauge the strength and composition of growth.
Euro Area
Unemployment Rate
Euro Area Unemployment Rate, All Persons, %, SA, Updates Monthly
The Unemployment Rate measures the percentage of the labor force currently not working but actively seeking employment. Markets monitor the unemployment rate to assess the cyclical health of the economy and the likelihood that wage demands may increase inflationary pressures.
Euro Area
Consumer Price Index
Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices, All Items, Core (All Items excluding energy, food, alcohol and tobacco), annual change, %, SA, updates monthly
The Harmonised Index of Consumer Prices is a measure of the change over time in the average prices paid by consumers for a market basket of consumer goods and services. It is calculated using the same methodology across members of the European Union. As the most widely used measure of inflation, changes in the index are closely followed by policymakers, financial markets, businesses, and consumers. Eurostat reports both an ‘All Items’ number that includes all categories in the calculation basket, and a ‘Core’ number that strips out highly volatile energy, food, alcohol, and tobacco prices.
Euro Area
Trade Balance
Goods trade balance, billions EUR, seasonally and working day adjusted, updates monthly
Measures the difference in value between imported and exported goods over the reported period. A positive number indicates that more goods were exported than imported – generating a trade surplus – and a negative number indicates a deficit. Trade imbalances may reflect fleeting differences in growth rates or more permanent factors in the composition of growth or the endowment and price of natural resources.
Euro Area
Key Policy Rates
Main Refinancing Operations, Marginal Lending Facility, Deposit Facility Rates, %, updates daily
The European Central Bank targets three rates to influence monetary variables in the economy: the Main Refinancing Operations rate which helps determine the cost of liquidity in the banking system, the Deposit Facility rate, at which banks make overnight deposits within the Eurosystem, and the Marginal Lending Facility rate, which determines the cost of overnight credit to banks in the Eurosystem. The Bank reviews its policy rates every six weeks.
Euro Area
Money Supply Growth
M3 Money Supply, adjusted loans to households, adjusted loans to non-financial corporations, 12-month % change, NSA, updates monthly
M3 Money Supply is a measure of currency that includes cash, checking deposits, non-cash assets that can easily be converted into cash, repurchase agreements, money market fund shares, and debt securities with a maturity of up to two years. The annual growth rate of adjusted loans to the private sector helps quantify spending and investment levels, providing insight into the health of the underlying economy. These data series are used to assess monetary developments and the effects of monetary policy, as well as to monitor financial stability.
Euro Area
Central Bank Assets
European Central Bank total assets, billions EUR, updates weekly
The European Central Bank balance sheet is a consolidated financial statement that shows the assets and liabilities of the Eurosystem national central banks and the European Central Bank itself. The system’s assets consist primarily of government bonds issued by Euro Area member states, corporate debt, and securitized mortgage debt. Its liabilities are mostly currency in circulation, commercial bank reserves, and collateralized reverse repurchase agreements. The balance sheet is used to influence interest rates – when officials want to stimulate the economy, it expands, and when they wish to tighten financial conditions, it shrinks.
Euro Area
Debt Ratios
Credit to general government, non-financial corporate, and household sectors, % of gross domestic product at market value, updates quarterly
Aggregate debt ratios measure the total borrowing of the general government, non-financial corporate, and household sectors, expressed as a share of gross domestic product. Total debt is followed by investors as a gauge of the vulnerability of an economy to financial shocks. An overly fast pace of debt growth is also frequently associated with a buildup of unproductive investment and excessively high asset valuations.
Euro Area
Net International Investment Position
Net International Investment Position, billions USD, updates quarterly
The net international investment position is the difference between the external financial assets and liabilities of a nation. A nation with a positive position is a creditor nation and is generally considered a safe haven in financial markets. A nation with a negative position is a debtor nation, with deeper balance of payments vulnerabilities.
Euro Area
Currency Reserves
Official reserve assets, foreign currency reserves (in convertible foreign currencies), billions USD, updates monthly
Currency reserves are external holdings that are freely usable for settlement of international transactions, and are readily available to and controlled by monetary authorities for meeting balance of payments financing needs, for intervention in currency markets to affect exchange rates, and for other related purposes. Developed markets with widely used, freely tradeable international currencies typically provide reserve assets rather than engaging in reserve accumulation.
Latest Analysis
Latest Analysis
USD bouncing back
09 September, 2024
• Shaky sentiment. A bit of a rebound in risk sentiment overnight following more turbulence on Friday after the US jobs report & Fed comments.• Market swings. US yields near bottom of their range....
Mean Reversion Dominates Markets After Inconclusive Jobs Report
09 September, 2024
Friday’s non-farm payrolls report failed to definitively settle the debate over the size of the Federal Reserve’s first rate cut. Markets initially added to bets on a plus-sized move after the Bureau of...
Dollar Tumbles as US Labour Market Slows
06 September, 2024
US labour markets softened more than expected for a second month in August, bolstering odds on a more decisive easing response from central bankers this autumn. According to data released by the Bureau...
Dollar Edges Lower Into Payrolls
06 September, 2024
The dollar is trading near a one-week low as the minutes count down to what could easily become the year’s most pivotal data release: the August non-farm payrolls report. With investors broadly convinced...
US payrolls in focus
05 September, 2024
• Hold the line. US S&P500 dipped, as did US yields & the USD. US ADP employment underwhelmed. But this hasn’t been a great guide for payrolls.• US employment. Non-farm payrolls tonight....
Dollar Slips on Renewed Recession Fears
05 September, 2024
The dollar is back on the defensive after new data showed the US labour market cooling rapidly, increasing odds on a dramatic opening salvo in the Federal Reserve’s easing cycle later this month. Treasury...
Rate expectations jolted
04 September, 2024
• Mixed markets. Equities slipped again, while bond yields tumbled & the USD softened. JPY strengthened & the AUD clawed back a bit of ground.• US jolts. US job openings declined. US labour market...
Bank of Canada Cuts, Softens Dovish Stance
04 September, 2024
As had been widely expected, the Bank of Canada delivered a third consecutive rate cut this morning, and language in the accompanying communications helped prepare the ground for further easing in the...
Foreshocks Rumble Financial Markets
04 September, 2024
Seismic activity is intensifying across financial markets ahead of Friday’s non-farm payrolls report. A series of temblors hit during yesterday’s session, with Nvidia suffering the largest nominal one-day...
Australia GDP: growth vs levels
04 September, 2024
The dated Q2 Australian GDP confirmed what we should have already known. The growth pulse is subdued with higher interest rates and cost of living squeeze working to constrain consumer spending, construction,...